Weston, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/20/2009 -- In an offbeat way to help parents cope with the ever-increasing cost of college, College Planning Specialists, a Weston, Florida-based college planning firm, has announced its guaranteed, “can’t miss” picks for March Madness. But the methodology used by the firm differs from that of traditional sports fans and pundits.

“I ranked every team in the field according to how generous each college is with their financial aid award packages, including student loans, scholarships and grants” said Peter “College Pete” Ratzan, co-founder and architect of the firm’s 2009 University Generosity Bracketology.

Ratzan’s first two rounds show some outcomes that conventional fans would consider to be upsets, such as Tennessee-Chattanooga over top seeded University of Connecticut - but not when viewed in the context of financial aid generosity. “UConn meets only 72% of financial need while Chattanooga meets 86% - ergo, UConn goes home!” said Ratzan.

“I know this seems a little goofy, but ‘College Pete’ did all this meticulous research for a reason,” said Andrew Lockwood, J.D., Ratzan’s partner. “Some colleges have more money to award than others. The time to investigate how much college will cost is 1-2 years before you even think about applying, not after you’ve gotten in. After all, you wouldn’t shop for a car without knowing the sticker price first!” said Lockwood. “We hope that this knowledge helps families plan their college funding a little better,” said Lockwood.

”College Pete’s ”2009 University Generosity Bracketology” may be downloaded at: http://www.collegeplanningadvice.com/bracket.